The Back Three and The Wing Backs

[Tippy Tappy Football]

If we are going to play a back three this season who will become the established back three and wing backs?

I will go for:

Back Three: John Joe O'Toole, Oli Hawkins and Mr X (Quality Left Sided Defender)/Riley Harbottle
Wing Backs: Elliott Hewitt and Stephen McLaughlin

[part time pete]

If we are going to play a back three this season who will become the established back three and wing backs?

I will go for:

Back Three: John Joe O'Toole, Oli Hawkins and Mr X (Quality Left Sided Defender)/Riley Harbottle
Wing Backs: Elliott Hewitt and Stephen McLaughlin

Yes, i’d go with that but the problem is that it is a big ask for all them been available every game.

[Stag95]

Gordon JJ Hawkins Harbottle Macca

[maverick34]

Gordon JJ Hawkins Harbottle Macca

This would be mine, but as Saturday proved we need proper cover for all positions across the back, not makeshift fitting round pegs into square holes type cover. Hewitt is one that could cover in the RWB role, but as much as I like them, Akins and Bowery should be no where near this conversation, despite how often they've played across the back recently.

[gazza1988]

Gordon Hewitt JJOT Harbottle McLaughlan

[PostmanPat]

That’s what it should be. But for some strange reason we end up with Akins and Bowery back there. See who gets pulled out the hat to play at the back Saturday.

[BH_Stag]

Gordon and Macca are the most suited to the wide roles. Beyond them we really do struggle for a proper alternative in those positions, particularly down the left.

Would Hewitt be strong enough going forward as a RWB to warrant playing the back 5? I think he suits the back 3 more than he does wing back. Akins and Bowery cannot be expected to play a run of games in these positions in my opinion, it doesn’t come naturally to them and for this formation to work effectively your wing backs need to be very good. If we have to start plugging these areas with makeshift options then we may as well not do it - we’re only making things more difficult for ourselves.

Need to reserve judgement on the back 3 currently.
JJ is probably the only one you know will get in every time at the moment. Also think one of the main reasons we have changed formation in the first place is to keep Hawkins in at CB but to give him a bit more support - let’s see how that goes. Again though, if you can only field 2 of JJ, Harbottle, Perch, Hawkins and Hewitt like Saturday then don’t pick a back 3. Putting Macca there, or Bowery isn’t helping anyone! Just change the system to suit the personnel.

Would have been more comfortable on the whole if we just stuck with a 4 and signed defenders to bolster what we already had. At the moment the back 5 is providing more questions than answers but for me it will depend on how Hawkins and Gordon get on. If they don’t take to it we’ll be wanting the back 4 back.

[yorkshire stag]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

[zod]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Fashion, back fours are so 1980

[wardy12345]

I don’t think a back three will be very successful unless you get three very fast central defenders

[BH_Stag]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

I don’t know. I find it a bit of an unnecessary thing to do to be honest at the moment. We could have been a well oiled machine if we strengthened the 4, but will see how it pans out with us at full strength. That’s when we’ll know if it’s a good idea or not. Judging it on such a makeshift selection doesn’t give a fair reflection to the idea behind it

I think the reasonings may have been;

A) Bit more width, particularly down the right.

B) To give Hawkins more support and he wants to keep him in the side.

There’s fair logic to both of those if so. There’s no question we were left heavy, and Hawkins does have games where he is really good at the back, and maybe having two defenders closer to him may help when he makes an error. He’s also a huge asset from set pieces so that’s definitely a big consideration at this level.

You could counter A) by arguing that our attacking output was already excellent from Macca at left back, and having a less adventurous defender on the right helped allow that somewhat. Also if you want more going forward from the RB then maybe just look to sign another RB?

B) Is it worth changing the system you did so well with in order to keep the current defence there if you felt it needs strengthening? Maybe just signing another top defender would have done the trick

We’ve set our stall out for it now though, so I hope he picks Gordon, JJ, Hawkins, Harbottle and Macca on Saturday. I do think that back 5 has potential to be good

[Marky Mark]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

[Conker]

Hewitt was really good overlapping down the right last season, I don’t understand the lack of faith in him being in RWB position. I’ll take him over Gordon because he’s capable of defending too.

[yorkshire stag]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

[maverick34]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

Not one to get into an argument here but surely if the reasoning behind going to a back three was publicised, it'd be the equivalent of playing poker with your cards facing up as every man and his dog would have the intel then?

[wayno cordiniho]

Akins Bowery Hawkins Quinn Johnson

And I wouldn’t bet my mortgage big Nige hasn’t considered it

[yorkshire stag]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

Not one to get into an argument here but surely if the reasoning behind going to a back three was publicised, it'd be the equivalent of playing poker with your cards facing up as every man and his dog would have the intel then?

but we didn’t need too or have the payers to play it to the level it would work better than a four

is it not completely obvious ?

[Marky Mark]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

I know you think you’re entitled to a public statement for everything, but since when have club tactics been directly discussed with fans of any club? When would you like this announcement - at the start of the season, before every game, as we’re attacking, as we’re defending, in the middle of a game, when a substitution is taking place?

[yorkshire stag]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

I know you think you’re entitled to a public statement for everything, but since when have club tactics been directly discussed with fans of any club? When would you like this announcement - at the start of the season, before every game, as we’re attacking, as we’re defending, in the middle of a game, when a substitution is taking place?

ha ha why wouldn’t an interviewer ask so then Nigel what’s your reasons for going to a back three when a back four worked well last season & improving it with a quality CB & RB would make it even better ?

why is that so difficult to understand, do you not want to know why this baffling disission has been had ?

[MTFCMusings]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

I know you think you’re entitled to a public statement for everything, but since when have club tactics been directly discussed with fans of any club? When would you like this announcement - at the start of the season, before every game, as we’re attacking, as we’re defending, in the middle of a game, when a substitution is taking place?

ha ha why wouldn’t an interviewer ask so then Nigel what’s your reasons for going to a back three when a back four worked well last season & improving it with a quality CB & RB would make it even better ?

why is that so difficult to understand, do you not want to know why this baffling disission has been had ?

He’s already answered the question. He thinks it suits the players we have, in particular Hawkins who he thinks is perfect for the middle of a back three.

[Martin Shaw]

why do we have to go to a back three ?

i’m waiting to hear …..

Why would you be told?

ermm because we are the paying public & without fans there is no club, it’s called communication & interaction with fans, why wouldn’t it be discussed ? you ok ?

I know you think you’re entitled to a public statement for everything, but since when have club tactics been directly discussed with fans of any club? When would you like this announcement - at the start of the season, before every game, as we’re attacking, as we’re defending, in the middle of a game, when a substitution is taking place?

ha ha why wouldn’t an interviewer ask so then Nigel what’s your reasons for going to a back three when a back four worked well last season & improving it with a quality CB & RB would make it even better ?

why is that so difficult to understand, do you not want to know why this baffling disission has been had ?

an interviewer did ask why he was going to a back three. The answer was:

Nigel Clough: "We think we’ve got the players to carry it out (3-5-2). I think we’ve got ideal wing-backs, I think the centre halves we’ve got can adapt to it, I think Oli Hawkins is perfect in the middle of a three, and it gets us two up top which is important as well."

After the Sheff Utd game, Clough then added: “The 3-5-2 system is working well at the moment."

[bobbystagsfan]

I think that answers that then
great read

[yorkshire stag]

Aged well then didn’t it, looks like “if” we have we should only implement it when we have the quality of player available in that position to do so then !

[gazza1988]

To be fair we lost plenty of games last season playing a back 4.

[yorkshire stag]

To be fair we lost plenty of games last season playing a back 4.

time will tell, however from that showing we didn’t have the players available to call it a success don’t you think ?